Following on from Mondays announcement that Kier had secured a place on National Highways’s £1bn Legacy Concrete Roads Reconstruction framework, Graham and Sisk have also now secured their slots to rebuild England’s ageing concrete motorway and trunk road network.
National Highways’ framework, spanning RIS3 and the start of RIS4, will drive a major rebuild of England’s roads, says Construction Enquirer.
So-called “legacy” concrete roads – largely built in the 1960s and 1970s – are concentrated along the eastern side of England, including East Anglia, the North East, Yorkshire and the South East.
National Highways has identified around 400 miles of its Strategic Road Network – roughly 4% – as concrete carriageway. These sections are among the most maintenance-intensive parts of the network.
The new framework marks a decisive shift away from patch repairs towards full reconstruction with modern, quieter surfaces.
The outgoing £400m five-year arrangement focused more heavily on lifecycle extension and repairs. The replacement framework effectively doubles planned spend and prioritises wholesale slab replacement.
The scope covers demolition of existing concrete pavements, full reconstruction, new pavement furniture and markings, and hardened central reserve upgrades. Contractors will also deliver temporary traffic management, act as principal designer and principal contractor under CDM 2015, and provide carbon capture reporting.
Recovery, recycling and reuse of arisings will form a core part of delivery as National Highways pushes lower-carbon renewals and circular economy practices.
Alan Rodger, Managing Director Sisk Infrastructure, added:
“We look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship with National Highways and to working with our new framework partners and local supply chain to deliver this next programme of improvements.”
Nick Knorr, head of the National Concrete Roads Programme, said:
“By replacing ageing concrete roads with modern designs, we’re ensuring smoother, quieter, and more resilient routes for millions of people.
“Building on the success of recent reconstruction schemes, this next phase will be delivered in partnership with our supply chain, helping us bring lasting improvements to communities and businesses across England.”
Under the outgoing framework, Morgan Sindall and Sisk delivered major reconstruction schemes, while VolkerFitzpatrick, Colas, Dyer & Butler and Tarmac handled lifecycle extension works.
(Picture: National Highways)
